Means for protecting perishable goods in transit.



L. A. McMAHEN.

MEANS foR PROTECHNG PERISHABLE Goovs |N TRANSIT.

PFLICATON FILED NOV. 29| |9|5 L294g503. Patented Feb. 18, 1919.

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LUKE A. MCMAHEN', 0F BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0 I REFRIGERATION PATENT SYNDICATE, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

MEANS FOR PROTECTING PERISHAIBLE GOOES IN TRANSIT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. I8, 1919.

Application led November 29, 1915. v Serial No. 64,058.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, LUKE A. MGMAHEN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Birmingham, in the county of Jefferson and State of Alabama, have invented ce1-tain new. and useful Improvements in Means to Protect Perishable Goods in Transit, of which the following is a specifieation.

My invention relates to means for inducing a circulation of air through perishable goods in freight cars so as to reduce to a minimum the loss occasioned by the rotting of same during shipment. 1

Because of the damage to fruit and vegetables if rain or damp air gains access to the cars in which they are loaded, they are now generally shipped in box cars which, as a general rule, are not equipped with means to induce other than a direct draft of outsideI air through' the car. According to my invention I provide within the car a fan, or several fans, equipped with wind wheel motors disposed outside the ear and designed to be driven by the movement of the ear and to drive the' fans in a constant direction. I

provide for each fan an air blast distribut-v and be attached to the car so that it will not be liable to injury 'by the loading or shifting of the cars contents. Preferably such means will comprise shallow metal conduits attached along the roof and having wire wound pipes depending therefrom and adapted to be interposed between the crates, or bags, and discharge currents of air among them.

I may also provide the car with a venti- 4lator which will operate to draw air out of the car durin motion so as t o effect agradual change o air without direct admisslon of air currents liable to carry in an injuri-- ous quantity of moisture.

My invention also comprises the novel features of construction and arrangements of parts` which arehereinaftcr described 1n the air.

View on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.-

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

I have shown my invention applied to a boX car l of any ordinary type and I provide the following air4 circulation mechalnism for each end of the ear; namely, a

bearing bushing 2 is rigidly mounted in the side of the car and preferably carries antifriction balls or rollers (not shown) upon which a shaft 3 turns. On the outer end of the shaft is mounted a driving wheel 4 which may be of any ordinary or suitable construction that will cause it to be rotated in a fixed direction by the air resistance encountered when the car is moving in either direction or by a sidewise current of air.

'As shown, it is made of a series of scroll pockets or blades which present convex sides facing in the opposite direction from its intended direction of rotation, thereby causing its convex faces to face in an opposite direction to that of the main resistance from Mounted on the inner end of the shaft is a. fanv or blower 5, the blades of which are disposed to drive currents of air through a casing 6 and into a pair of shallow metal conduits 7 which diverge diagonally crosswise of the car and thus afford a I .maximum distribution of the air over the end of the car in which the apparatus is located. Each conduit is provided with a. Ulurality of nozzles 8 and to each of these nozzles is adapted to be coupled a flexible hose or tubek 9 having a lengthsuiicient to enable it tolbe passed bags or crates of perishab e goods so asto discharge the air from its open end 10 in position to create an effective distribution of air through the merchandise.' Preferably each of these tubes is provided `with coils of wire 11 to protect it from becomin compressed by a shifting of the freig t and shutting 0H its air current.

The casing 6l is closed and isv preferably' own through the the licor, Where its bottoni end is left open ln addition a plurality of inlet ports "i3 are provided at diderent points along the pipe `so as to distribute the return circulation' throughout different levels in the car,

ln operation, the movement of the car will 'operate the driving Wheel in a constan-t direction and the fan, 'lacing1 driven thereby, will induce a circulation of air, drawing it in through the pipe 12 anddistrihuting it through the conduits 7 and tubes 9 throughout the perishable goods, and this circulation will prevent the deterioration of the freight under ordinary conditions during shipment.

To induce a gradual change of air in closed cars, l provide'a-t either or both ends and preferably opposite the fan, a ventilating cowl l/l formed lloy a horizontal pipe cpm at its ends and connected at its center to a nipple l5 which is inserted through the side of the car near the top thereof. The rush `of air through lll- Will induce hy suction a slight current of air outwardly from the .car through the nipple 15. lThe air thus drawn o is replaced hy a gradual ltering in through the cracks or sinall holes of the Lear, and l thus obtain a Change' of air 'Without giving access of'any appreciable arnount of nioisture into the car. No rain or Water can gain access into the car through the ventilator.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim as new and desire to secure by ters Patent, is

' l. ln a freight car for transportingperbliet- -ishahle freight, the combination with nieans responsive to the movement of the car to gradually exhaust air therefrom, of air circulating means Within 'the car having its air inlet and outlet ports opening,n at dinerent levels into the car, and means responsive to the movement of the car to operate yseid air circulating ineens- 2. ln a `carrier for transporting perishable freight, means which function responsive to the movement of the car to gradually enhaust air therefrom and effect a slow change of airuin the carrier-,said means being adapted to prevent direct access of air therethrough into the carrier, in combination withl air circulating mechanism Wholly contained Within the carrier to effect therein a forced distribution of the gradually changing air throughout the perishable freight, said latter mechanism comprising distributers disposed and arranged to deliver the innesca forced circulation throughout the perishable freight, and ineans to drive said air circulating; nieanisin.

ln a carrier a-hle freight, ineens external to the carrier and adapted to he driven unidirectionally hy thernotion of the carrier, a hlovver driven hy said ineens and disposed interiorly of the carrier, and air circulating conduits disposed Wholly Within the interior of the carrier and opening only thereinto, said conduits ernloraoingl said blower, 'substantially as described.

el. ln a ycarrier for transporting perisht .-aole freight, ineens external to the carrier and adapted to he driven unidirectionally disposed Twholly Within the interior of the carrier and opening 4only thereinto, said conduit .embracing said hlower and having -its discharge eid adjustable to different levels.

5,. in carrier for transporting perishable freight, ineens external 'to the carrier and adapted to loe driven unidinectionally hy the motion of the carrier, a loloiver driven hy said ineens and disposed interiorly of the carrier, an air circulation conduit disposed Wholly Within the interior of the carrier and opening only thereintmisaid' conduit einhraoing said hlov/er and coniprisinp1 an air intalre portion having` openings at ditferent levels in the lovver portion of the carrier, and a plurality of flexible discharge pipes adapted to he introduced throughout the perishable freight, as and for the purposes described.

8. .ln a carrier for perishable freight, the conihination with a freight compartment closed against direct access of air, of an air circulating mechanism comprising a lolovver within said compartment, and air inlet and which all open lclosed against direct access of air, of an air circulating mechanism comprising a lolo-Wer for transporting perisi 1 Within 'said compartment, and air inlet and outlet pipes for said lolowver which all open Within said compartment and which are rel-s atively adjustable to vary the'points of air intake and discharge according to the character and requirements of the freight,

ln testimony whereof l altr; ray signature.

* A. 'Mol/HEN. "l/itness s Y Nonni Wirren. 

